DAVID O'Leary was today urging rookie defender Gary Cahill to sign his new contract after the 20-year-old produced a startling performance of maturity against Albion.

DAVID O'Leary was today urging rookie defender Gary Cahill to sign his new contract after the 20-year-old produced a startling performance of maturity against Albion.

Cahill gave an all-round masterclass of defending capped by his sensational clearance off the line which robbed former Villan Steve Watson of a joyous return to his former stomping ground.

O'Leary has been keen for Cahill to sign a new four-year contract for some time.

But he still insists that Villa's offer to increase his current #1,000-a-week wages four-fold will not be upped.

Cahill is down to the last 14 months of his contract and the Villa boss said: "The club have offered him four times as much as what he is on at the moment.

"His representatives have been meeting the chairman and Steve Stride, and they feel that it is not good enough. I should imagine he wants more money - they all do. The contract he has been offered is for four years."

O'Leary spoke a month ago about the fact that the contract would be structured like many of the young players who have already broken through.

He continued: "I haven't been in the negotiations but I think what the club have been offering him is very fair indeed. In many ways it is like when Steven Davis and Liam Ridgewell came in. I've tried to tell the player to sign it and then if you do well...the proof is that both Davis and Ridgewell had three years left and didn't have to do anything."

Ridgewell, in fact, was into the last 12 months of his contract when he signed, but O'Leary added: "I've told Cahill that if he does well and plays maybe 30 games for the first team, then we'll take the contract away.

"That's what was done with Ridgewell and Davis and the club are following that same path. So I'm saying he'll have his reward for doing better. Four times better is significant money.

"So prove yourself over a season and the contract will be torn up. The onus is on him. The club won't be changing their mind."

O'Leary was full of praise for the defender for his performance against the Baggies, admitting: "Cahill came in and did us proud. You want defenders dying in your box.

"I thought he was a very committed lad, and that's what we want here. Hungry people to push this club right and push us forward.

"Because of the injuries these young lads are the ones who are going to have to take us to safety. Yes it is going to be tough. They are going to be playing against senior players but it will stand them in good stead for the future."